10 things to make this year the best year yet

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Whew! We made it! 2018 as a whole was a busy one, and the 2018 holiday season was no different. 

Christmas 2019

Looking back at the busy holiday season

Over the course of the last week, we embarked on our normal holiday road trip, first to Pennsylvania then to Vermont to see both sides of the family. It was lovely to see so many people who are very dear to us. We logged over 1,200 miles in the car, cooked and ate some amazing food, kicked back to watch some Christmas classics, and laughed while catching up with good friends and family. We feel so very lucky! 

New Year’s Day vibes

Today we find ourselves back in DC taking some time to relax, regroup, and reflect before 2019 really starts going!  Here’s the current scene at our home today:

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Cheese plate out, amazing book in hand...and cozied up with my favorite slippers, candle, and new throw

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Plans for the new year

We have big plans for 2019 — to live intentionally while spending time with the people who matter, and cooking more adventurously! (As inspired by the new book above!) I don’t know about you, but good friends and good food help keep me grounded, especially when going through big transitions.

We look forward to taking in what’s been so fun about living in DC, revisiting old haunts that we have come to love and checking out new places, too! First up (on the new list) is a coveted reservation to Maydān, which has been named one of the top restaurants in the country by Bon Apetit. Stay tuned for a full report on that! 

Later in 2019 we look forward to checking out Vermont and all the fun that is there. Hiking, biking, skiing, beer tasting, cheese eating, and perhaps even a jaunt into Canada will surely keep the Traveling Flâneurs busy.

Setting ourselves up for success in 2019

With such big plans for the year, we have been thinking about how to set ourselves up for success in the new year. Our favorite things for achieving our best year yet include: 

  • Calm App for our everyday meditation practice. We’ve been using this for about a year now and appreciate how grounded it helps make us feel.

  • YNAB is our go-to budgeting app which keeps our spending on point. It may not sound glamorous, but it is crucial to know where our money is going so we can make the most of it! We love this app and know that it will continue to be a top-used app in the new year with all the adventures to come!

  • Fitbit to help stay active and feel our best. 10k steps or bust!

  • Elephant Planner to plan out the weeks and months of adventures ahead for us! A friend recently recommended this and I can’t wait to really put it to use. It seems to be flexible which is exactly what I’m looking for to keep our year on track without the guilt if I don’t keep up with it from time to time!

  • We’re also hoping to focus more on reading in the new year to help us live with intention. Our top books to start our year off right include Homebody to help with future house planning, Essentials of Italian Cooking to try out new techniques and recipes, and The Accidental Creative to help spark creativity in our lives.

  • This cozy throw and our favorite slippers (for him and for her) to help us unwind at the end of each long day filled with intention.

So while we cuddle up on the couch enjoying this first day of the new year and ponder all the opportunity before us, we wish you a very happy and healthy 2019! It’s going to be a good one and we’re excited to get it underway with all the tools we need to make it a success!